In a significant leadership shift for New Zealand’s cricket team, Sophie Devine has announced that she will step down as the T20I captain following the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup in October. Despite relinquishing the T20I captaincy, Devine will continue to lead the New Zealand ODI team and remain a key player in the T20I squad.

Devine, who has been an integral part of New Zealand women's cricket since her debut in 2006, boasts an impressive record, amassing 3,268 runs in 135 T20Is. She assumed the T20I captaincy in 2020, taking over from Amy Satterthwaite, and has since led the team in 56 matches, bringing her experience and leadership to the forefront.

Announcing her decision to step down from the T20I captaincy, Devine cited the need to manage her workload more effectively. As a leading figure in both formats of the game, she has found balancing the captaincy and playing roles challenging at times. “I’m very proud to have had the privilege to captain the WHITE FERNS in both formats,” said Devine in a statement released by New Zealand Cricket. “With captaincy comes an additional workload that, while I’ve enjoyed taking on, can also be challenging at times."

“Stepping away from the T20 captaincy will take a bit off my plate so I can focus more of my energy on my playing role and nurturing the future leaders,” she added.

Despite stepping down as T20I captain, Devine made it clear that she is not ready to relinquish her ODI captaincy duties just yet. She will continue to lead New Zealand's 50-over side while contributing as an experienced player in the T20 format. “I'm not ready to give up ODI captaincy just yet. But I won't be around forever, so I think stepping away from captaining one format at a time gives the next leaders time to find their feet," Devine explained.